Mask having a frontal positioning device

ABSTRACT

A structure of an underwater sports mask includes a lens frame, a lens portion and a water sealing skirt. A central area of the lens frame is provided with a positioning device for connecting a frontal breathing tube, and the positioning device allows the breathing tube to move along the axial direction of the breathing tube.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Ser. No.63/249,791 filed on Sep. 29, 2021, which is incorporated by referenceherein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention is an underwater sports mask, especially a maskstructure used for snorkeling activities and equipped with a frontalbreathing tube.

Descriptions of the Related Art

The snorkeling equipment currently on the market includes a mask 1 thatcovers the user's eyes and nose, and a breathing tube 2 that is providedfor the user's mouth to contain. With such a design of breathing tube 2,if the user contains the mouthpiece 3 correctly, the breathing tube 2will extend upward and backward at one side of the mask (usually at theleft side of the user). There are various ways to be used to connect thebreathing tube 2 to the mask 1 at that side of the mask 1. When the useris facing down under the water and snorkeling with his/her head up, thebreathing tube 2 extends out of the water surface about right above, toachieve the best breathing effect. Also, the breathing tube 2 will notbe affected by the water flow or buoyancy and disengaged with the mask1. This not only avoids accidental loss, but also increases thestability in use, as shown in FIG. 1A.

However, the breathing tube 2 extending at one side of the mask 1 hasseveral inherent disadvantages:

-   (1) The user may feel unbalanced in the overall configuration of the    breathing tube and mask. Especially during water sports, the    unbalanced feeling will aggravate the discomfort.-   (2) The configuration of the snorkel extending on the left side is    not very accustomed to users who tend to the right (such as    right-handers).-   (3) The breathing tube extending along one side of the mask must    pass through the area with hair in front of and above the ear, which    often makes the elastic head strap be easily entangled with hair,    more easily tangled in the position where the breathing tube passes.    This also makes it difficult for users to decide whether to fix the    breathing tube and the mask first and then put on the mask, or to    put on the mask first and then fix the breathing tube. If the    breathing tube is fixed first and then the mask is worn, the    breathing tube is usually not in the correct position, and a second    position adjustment must be made to match the comfort of the    mouthpiece in the mouth. At this time, it is easy to be pulled by    the hair. It is very uncomfortable. And if you put on the mask first    and then fix the breathing tube, it's a challenge just to find the    right place for the breathing tube to join the mask unless there is    a mirror around to assist. That is, no matter what, unless someone    else assists, it is a very difficult job to wear a mask, adjust the    snorkel to the best position, and complete the outfit, especially    for beginners or those who do not often snorkel. Those will all    reduce their willingness to do water activities.

In the existing design, there is a central frontal swimming tube 4,which is fixed to the head with an independent head strap 5, and is alsomatched with general swimming goggles 6 that also comes with anotherhead strap, as being used together for breathing and core training(shown in FIG. 1B). On the other hand, the full-face snorkeling maskFFSM is also designed with a central breathing tube, but it must becustomized and fixed with the mask to prevent water leakage. However,the general snorkeling mask that covers the eyes and nose does not havea frontal snorkel design. If a mechanism is provided so that thesnorkeling mask can also be equipped with a central breathing tube, thedesired purpose can be successfully achieved. This mechanism can notonly be used for snorkeling activities, but also for swimming trainingthat generally hopes to cover the user's nose.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is to provide a snorkeling mask provided with apositioning device at the center of the outer frame between two lenses,so that a frontal swimming snorkel can be fixed by the positioningdevice, without lateral displacement, to achieve the desired purpose.

Because the positioning device is disposed on the lens frame, thebreathing tube is very close to the position of the two lenses, and theobstruction to the sight of the user's two eyes is limited. Because of aself-visual accommodation exists shortly, the user can ignore thetrivial disturbance of symmetry, and enjoy snorkeling to the fullest.

When being sold, the product still just includes a mask and a snorkel involume, its package will not change, and when being displayed, it can beeasily advertised as “central snorkeling mask”, “diving masks that canbe easily worn by yourself”, “up-and-down adjustable snorkel”,“Hair-entangled Free” or others, which obviously break away fromtraditional styles, are naturally eye-catching and greatly increase thedegree of discussion and desire to purchase.

More specifically, the primary objective of the present invention is toprovide a structure of an underwater sports mask, including a frame, alens portion, and a water sealing skirt. The front of the water sealingskirt and a peripheral edge of the lens portion are waterproof andembedded in the lens frame, and the rear of the water sealing skirt hasa gasket portion. When a user wears the mask, a rear peripheral edge ofthe gasket portion is capable of being covering at least the user's eyesand nose to be watertight from an outside. The invention ischaracterized in that the lens frame is provided with a positioningdevice at a central portion thereof for connecting a frontal breathingtube, and the positioning device allows the frontal breathing tube to bedisplaced along an axial direction of the breathing tube.

Another objective of the present invention is to make the positioningdevice and the lens frame detachable, to facilitate the storage of thepositioning device and ensure the flatness of the outside of the mask.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of the snorkeling equipment of the priorart.

FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of the swimming training equipment of theprior art.

FIG. 2A shows an embodiment of the mask of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the user wearing the mask of FIG. 2A andinstalling the frontal breathing tube.

FIG. 3A is a front schematic view of an embodiment of a lens frame witha positioning device of the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a rear schematic view of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of three alternative embodiments of thedetachable structure of the positioning device of the present invention.

FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the quick-releasestructure of the positioning device of the present invention.

FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of the assembly process of anotherembodiment of the quick-release structure of the positioning device ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 shows the arrangement angle relationship between the holdingportion and the lens frame, and the pivotable state thereof.

FIG. 7A shows an embodiment of the positioning device (only the holdingportion is shown) stored in the mask.

FIG. 7B shows embodiments of various possible positions for thepositioning device to be received on the outer periphery of the lensframe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a structure of an underwater sports mask 10includes a lens frame 11, a lens portion 12, and a water sealing skirt13. The front of the water sealing skirt 13 and a peripheral edge of thelens portion 12 are coupled in a watertight fit and embedded into thelens frame 11 altogether. The rear of the water sealing skirt 13 has agasket portion 131. When a user wears the mask 10, the rear peripheraledge of the gasket portion 131 can cover at least the user's eyes andnose to be watertight from the outside. A central portion of the lensframe 11 is provided with a positioning device 20 for connecting afrontal breathing tube 4, and the positioning device 20 allows thebreathing tube 4 to be displaced along the longitudinal axis A-A of thebreathing tube 4. The frontal breathing tube has a mouthpiece 40 for theuser's mouth (M) to contain for breathing.

Preferably, the lens frame 11 has a left lens frame 111, a right lensframe 112, and a bridge 113 connected between the left lens frame 111and the right lens frame 112. The lens portion 12 has two independentlenses 121, 122, in which the front of the water sealing skirt 13 andtwo peripheral edges of the two lenses 121, 122 are embedded in awatertight fit into the left lens frame 111 and the right lens frame112, respectively. The positioning device 20 is disposed on the bridge113.

More preferably, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the positioning device 20and the bridge 113 are detachably connected with each other.Specifically, the positioning device 20 includes a holding portion and afixing portion, wherein the holding portion is a C-shaped collar 21having an opening 211 smaller than the diameter of the breathing tube 4.The breathing tube 4 is received from the opening 211 in a manner ofelastically expanding the C-shaped collar 21 and is restrained therein.The fixing portion is connected, preferably is detachably connected,with the bridge 113. More specifically, the bridge 113 is provided withtwo parallel rails 114, and the fixing part is provided with twoparallel sliders 22 which can be slidably engaged with the two rails114, respectively.

The way of engagement between the positioning device 20 and the bridgeof the lens frame is not limited to the above. In the detachableconnection, FIG. 4 shows another sliding engagement with three shapealternatives. Specifically, one of the bridge (not shown) and the fixingportion connected with the C-shaped collar 21 is provided with a slidingrail 41, 43, 45, and the other is provided with a slider 42, 44, 46which can be engaged with the sliding rail 41, 43, 45. For furtheralternatives, the positioning device and the bridge (not shown in thefigure) can also be detachably connected by a quick-release device, suchas the quick-release device 51 as used for a luggage tightening belt, asshown in FIG. 5A, or the quick release device 52 generally used in thewater sports mask between its lens frame and the head strap by using amale tongue 521 to match a female socket 522, as shown in FIG. 5B. Thatis, using any type of male fastener which is connectable and detachablewith any type of female fastener, with an unlimited number of fastenersis a viable alternative.

After the user puts on the mask 10 installs the breathing tube 4, andfaces down to enter the water for snorkeling, in order to have the topof the breathing tube 4 surface as much as possible and the user inhalefresh air as much as possible, In the above-mentioned variousembodiments, the angle between the axial direction A-A of the C-shapedcollar 21 and the plane where the lens frame 11 lies is preferablybetween 0 degrees (that is, parallel to each other) to 80 degrees,preferably between 20 degrees and 60 degrees. If a pivot mechanism 60 isadded between the C-shaped collar 21 and the lens frame 11, that is,between the fixed part of the positioning device 20 and the bridge 113of the lens frame 11, for the user to do a free angle adjustment, thatwould be more flexible, as shown in FIG. 6 .

After snorkeling and the breathing tube is separated from the mask 10,when the user wants to store the mask 10, in order to prevent thepositioning device 20 from protruding forward and being accidentallybroken or causing injury, in the detachable mode, the positioning device20 can be easily removed from the bridge 113, and then the C-shapedcollar 21 can clip-on between the inner edges of the left lens frame 111and the right lens frame 112 from the rear of the mask 10, therebycompleting the storage of the C-shaped collar 21 inside the mask 10.Because the C-shaped collar 21 is generally made of a hard material(such as polycarbonate plastic, PC), which has a little elasticity thatis enough to clip well inside the mask 10 without being lost, as shownin FIG. 7A. Of course, the method of receiving and storing thepositioning device 20 is not limited to this. Any other positions on theouter periphery 115 of the lens frame 11, as shown in FIG. 7B, can alsobe provided with a rail 41, 43, 45, just like that disposed on thebridge 113 for the slider 42, 44, 46 to detachably engaging therewith,as shown in FIG. 4 , or the like. FIG. 4 and other descriptions sufficeto disclose the engagement relation between the male and femalestructures, which is fully understandable, so FIG. 7B does not depictthe details of the sliding rails on the outer periphery 115 of the lensframe 11.

It is fully described in the above-mentioned preferred embodiments forthe structure and operation mode of the technical means of the presentinvention, which helps to realize the technology and its equivalents,such as the alternatives as addressed below; however, should not limitthe claims as set forth in the last paragraph.

1. The positioning device 20 can be designed in any form that can beengaged with the center of the lens frame 11, as long as the breathingtube 4 can be coupled with the lens frame 11, and the lateraldisplacement of the breathing tube 4 can be well restricted.

2. When the axial (i.e., longitudinal) displacement of the breathingtube 4 is not restricted, the user can easily adjust the breathing tube4 up and down along the axial direction without the need of others help.In addition, if the axial (i.e., longitudinal) displacement of thebreathing tube 4 is less restricted (i.e., the breathing tube 4 isloosely fitted with the holder of the breathing tube holder), when theuser performs the head-up or head-down action of snorkeling, thebreathing tube 4 can move up and down slightly to achieve the mostcomfortable wearing experience, without pulling the mask, let alonepulling the hair, which is impossible for the traditional side snorkel.In addition, the axial (i.e., longitudinal) movement of the breathingtube 4 can be limited for purpose. For example, the breathing tube 4 isprovided with several dents marked at equal distances on the outersurface thereof, and the inner surface of the C-shaped collar 21 isprovided with bumps corresponding to the dents, so that the breathingtube 4 can be adjusted in stages along its axial direction. This is alsoan acceptable design.

The holding portion is not limited to the C-shaped collar with theopening 211. Any measures that can fix the body of the breathing tube 4,such as elastic clips, two independent elastic pieces, and elasticrubber rings, etc., are feasible alternatives.

The way the positioning device 20 is engaged with the lens frame 11 maybe permanently fixed or detachable, as long as the holder of thebreathing tube 4 can be well fixed on the lens frame 11 when in use.

What is claimed is:
 1. Structure of an underwater sports mask,comprising: a lens frame; a lens portion, having at least one peripheraledge; a water sealing skirt, a front of the water sealing skirt and theat least one peripheral edge of the lens portion being coupled in awatertight fit into the lens frame, and a rear of the water sealingskirt having a gasket portion, when a user wears the mask, a rearperipheral edge of the gasket portion is capable of being covering atleast the user's eyes and nose to be watertight from an outside;characterized in that: the lens frame is provided with a positioningdevice at a central portion thereof for connecting a frontal breathingtube, and the positioning device allows the frontal breathing tube to bedisplaced along an axial direction of the breathing tube.
 2. Thestructure of an underwater sports mask according to claim 1, wherein thefrontal breathing tube has a mouthpiece for being contained in theuser's mouth for breathing.
 3. The structure of an underwater sportsmask according to claim 2, wherein the lens frame has a left frame, aright frame, and a bridge connected between the left frame and the rightframe, and the lens portion includes two mutually independent lenseswhich are formed with two peripheral edges, in which the front of thewater sealing skirt and the two peripheral edges of the two lenses arewatertight and fitted into the left frame and the right frame,respectively, and the positioning device is disposed on the bridge. 4.The structure of an underwater sports mask according to claim 3, whereinthe positioning device and the bridge are detachably connected.
 5. Thestructure of an underwater sports mask according to claim 3, wherein thepositioning device comprises a holding portion and a fixing portion,wherein the holding portion has an opening smaller than a diameter ofthe breathing tube, and is suitable for holding and restraining thebreathing tube received from the opening, and wherein the fixing portionis connected with the bridge.
 6. The structure of an underwater sportsmask according to claim 5, wherein the fixing portion and the bridge aredetachably connected.
 7. The structure of an underwater sports maskaccording to claim 6, wherein one of the bridge and the fixing portionis provided with two rails, and the other is provided with two slidersbeing capable of engaging with the rails.
 8. The structure of anunderwater sports mask according to claim 6, wherein one of the bridgeand the fixing portion is provided with a rail, and the other isprovided with a slider being capable of engaging with the rail.
 9. Thestructure of an underwater sports mask according to claim 6, wherein thefixing portion and the bridge are quick-release engaged with each other.10. The structure of an underwater sports mask according to claim 5,wherein an included angle between an axial direction of the holdingportion and a plane on which the lens frame lies ranges from 0 to 80degrees.
 11. The structure of an underwater sports mask according toclaim 10, wherein the included angle ranges between 20 degrees and 60degrees.
 12. The structure of an underwater sports mask according toclaim 5, wherein the fixing portion and the bridge are pivotallyconnected.
 13. The structure of an underwater sports mask according toclaim 5, wherein the lens frame has an outer periphery, and thepositioning device is detachably connected to the outer periphery. 14.The structure of an underwater sports mask according to claim 13,wherein one of the outer periphery of the lens frame, and the fixingportion is provided with a rail, and the other is provided with a sliderbeing capable of engaging with the rail.